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Mechanical Gadgets
Alchemical Clockwork Lantern Cost: 4 gc Description: The alchemical clockwork lantern consists of a fairly standard lantern housing with a simple windable clockwork mechanism in the bottom. Inside the lantern housing there is a glass vial with an agitator powered by the clockwork. After filling the vial with bottled light (IKRPG, p. 294) and tripping the clockwork, the agitator will keep stirring the bottled light without the need for the usual quick action every few turns to agitate the alchemical compound. A typical alchemical clockwork lantern can keep running for about three hours once it has been fully wound up, and sheds alchemical torchlight (IKRPG, p. 225). Advanced models run longer, and may include a bull's eye lens for a longer-reaching, directional beam. Like in standard bottled light lanterns, the alchemical compound is only good for about two weeks' time before it spoils and no longer responds to being agitated. Alchemical Mister Cost: 5 gc Description: A possible assassin's tool, a weapon of last resort, or a prankster's best friend, the device consists of a thin hose, a small nozzle that can either be attached to a bracelet or ring, integrated into a glove, or simply glued to the palm with a sufficiently strong and lasting adhesive, and a reservoir and spring-loaded pump that can be secreted somewhere about the wearer's body (the pump is often worn on a strap around the upper body so that it can be squeezed with the other arm, or sometimes even incorporated in a bootheel so simply stepping down firmly ejects a dose of the content once the nozzle is open). Models that mount the nozzle in the palm often allow the nozzle to be opened and closed by simply squeezing the palm with the same hand's fingers, while other models require a quick action and both hands to make them ready for operation. The reservoir usually only contains the equivalent of one vial of an alchemical or other compound. While the device is conspicuous once found, it is quite easily concealed while wearing the right clothes, and allows the quick and nearly unnoticeable application of many different liquid compounds. Personal Optical Array Cost: 20 gc Description: A personal optical array can either be an eyepiece or added to a spyglass or telescopic sight. It basically consists of a series of swiveling mounted lenses of piercer crystal of differing properties and at least two smoked glass filters of different strength. A character wearing or using a personal optical array can use a quick action and make a PER+Detection against a target number of 13 to correctly shuffle the lenses for the prevailing lighting conditions. Once the roll has succeeded, and until the lighting conditions drastically change (e.g. by lighting or extinguishing a source of illumination, or even simply by the target character moving into a significantly better-lit or darker area), the character using the optical array ignores any benefits the target character receives from concealment, Camouflage, and Stealth. The device is quite fragile, and likely to be ruined if struck or dropped in combat. The Cult of Cyriss is known to use an advanced clockwork version of the personal optical array in its vectors and clockwork vessels that is significantly more sturdy, more effective, and easier to use (see NQ48 Heavy Vector PDF, p. 10). Clockwork Rat Cost: 3 gc Description: Combine a short “tail” of chain links, a set of large-toothed gear “legs” powered by a strong but simple windable spring, and a smaller piece of clockwork “brain” that can trip the catch on the large spring, and you have got yourself a clockwork rat. Once both springs are wound up, the clockwork rat can be hidden in the underbrush, under furniture, or among junk piled in an alley, and when the small clockwork timer runs out (it's usually only good for about an hour at best), the rat will start moving, making a racket and providing a distraction for whatever nefarious or humorous purposes the user desires. Many rats also include some kind of simple noisemaking device so even if they should get stuck early they will simply keep being noisy until the clockwork runs down. Most clockwork rats can cover approximately 40 yards under ideal conditions. Clockwork Squirrel Cost: 4 gc Description: The clockwork squirrel, not unlike the so-called clockwork rat, consists of a strong windable clockwork mounted on two small wheels that is tripped by a smaller clockwork timer that can be wound up to run for about an hour. The difference to the clockwork rat is that the clockwork squirrel moves by reeling in a thin but strong line, rather than on spring-powered wheels. In order to set a clockwork squirrel up, the end of the line is usually attached to a branch in a tree, while a small staple fixes the line to the base of the tree's trunk. The line is then paid out and the trigger clockwork set (this might require an INT+Rope Use or Survival roll against a target number of 12 which is made by the GM; on a failure, the clockwork squirrel will get stuck on its way to the end of the line. The result of the aforementioned roll could also be used as the target number for guards' PER+Detection rolls to notice the line and clockwork squirrel). When the clockwork squirrel moves, it will directly approach the staple, which it will easily dislodge, and then disappear upwards into the tree to where the end of the line has been fixed, thus ensuring that the device will have made a noise but likely remain undiscovered once it has disappeared into the foliage (unless the tree is examined, of course). Most clockwork squirrels can “run” for a distance of about 30 yards, and contain attachments that make a racket as the device drags itself over the ground (these noisemaker attachments usually also have a simple spring-loaded lever that trails behind as long as the clockwork squirrel moves on the ground, and then shuts the noisemaker down as soon as the squirrel leaves the ground to ensure it is silent once it enters its hiding place). Gobbers in particular have the advantage of being able to crawl into narrow spaces where they can attach the line of a clockwork squirrel, ensuring that bigger folk will be unable to easily find their mechanical source of distraction once it has served its purpose. Category:IKRPG Category:Rules